The N...

When I first heard about the the title of this album in the summer I couldn't wait for it to drop. I know everyone was talking about Jay's return but this album is what the game needs right now, not Jay preaching to "little niggas" about how he is getting his grown man on at age 37. Preaching is something that is rarely felt throughout this album which NaS said he was going to avoid in a radio interview earlier this year, but that doesn't mean the listener isn't going to get an ear full from Nasir's mind. One of my favorite tracks where NaS speaks on some real shit is on the song "Carry on Tradition".

"Deep rooted through slavery..self hatred, the Jewish stick together, friends in high places/ we on some low level shit, WE DON'T WANT NIGGAS TO EVER WIN... see everybody gotta label, everybody's a rapper but few flow fatal it's fucked it all started from two turntables"
-NaS

Production wise I wasn't really blown away. Was really expecting Premier to make an appearance but I'm sure NaS and him will hook up in the future. As for the bad, will.i.am needs to stick to the Fergie shit, you aren't fooling anybody with you samples. I could take the "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" jack on "Hip Hop is Dead" , but jackin the drums from "I Ain't No Joke" and keeping the same beat pattern on "Who Killed It"..lets be a little more creative. The cut's on "Can't Forget About You" fuck the song up so bad. His tracks just sounds like test runs with random "bells n whistles" here n there.

As for the good, Scott Storch killed it on "Play on Playa", that beat was made for Snoop and he rides it so beautifully..dont you agree? Speaking of Kanyezzy, people may be hatin on him as of late but let's be real, the dude can make beats. He serves up two tracks for the cause, "Still Dreaming" and "Let There Be Light" which both have great percussion samples backing the melodies. But the track the takes the cake is "Black Republican" produced by L.E.S. BEAT OF THE YEAR! just listen...

I've got 3 tracks to hold you down until the release next Tuesday (19th).

Black Republican - Nas feat. Jay-Z

Let There Be Light - Nas feat. Tre Williams

Play On Playa - Nas feat. Snoop Dogg